Pneumatic separator.



B. D. MAXWELL.

PNEUMATIC SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, 1910.

Patented Oct. 1 7, 1911.

Inventor Attorneys COLUMBIA PLANODRIAPH co., WASHlNUTON, D c.

ERNEST D. MAXWELL, 0F CLIFTON FORGE, VIRGINIA.

PNEUMATIC SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

Application filed December 3, 1910. Serial No. 595,526.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ERNEST D. MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clifton Forge, in the county of Alleghany and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Pneumatic Separator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to pneumatic separators and cleaners and consists in the novel construction and arrangement of 1ts.

answer for all. Each group of cleaning departs as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invent-ion is to provide a simple and an effective cleaner of the character indicated which is adapted to sepa-' rate fibrous material from seed or stones, sprouts from grain and at the same time to clean or scour deleterious material from the superior material which is separated from the inferior material.

With the above object in view, the apparatus includes a perforated table which is mounted for rotation and upon which the mixed material is placed. A strip of porous flexible material may be placed upon the upper surface of the said table. Adjustable suction trunks are arranged in pairs and the members of each pair are located one above and one below the said table equi-distant apart and tangentially within and to the periphery of the table and relatively close to each other and to the table and a brush is journaled adjacent each trunk that is located above the table. An air blast means is also located in each suction trunk that is above the table and the said suction trunks and brushes extend at acute angles to the diameter or tangentially within and to the periphery of the table.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the machine showing one side thereof, and the position of the operating parts of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged View in top plan, of a portion of the table and the brushing and cleaning mechanism. Fig. 4 is a cross section through the table, pneumatic cleaners and the brush.

The apparatus consists of a perforated table 1 which is mounted upon a vertically disposed shaft 2. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the said shaft and table. The table 1 is preferably surrounded at its edge by an upstanding flange 3 which may be of any desired height and over which mixed material may be fed upon the upper surface of the said table 1. The cleaning and separating devices which cooperate with the said table are arranged in groups or units and as the said devices are similar in all of the groups a description of each individual device in each group will vices includes a suction trunk 4: which is located below the table 1 and which is adjust-ably mounted upon an elbow 5 which in turn is adjustably connected with a suction pipe 6. A suction trunk 7 is located above the surface of the table 1 and above the suction trunk 4 and the said suction trunk 7 is adjustably connected with a suction pipe 8.

Any suitable means may be provided for creating suction through the pipes 6 and 8 and suction trunks 4 and 7 and as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, such a device consists of a fan 9 located in a casing 10 which is provided with a discharge pipe 11. The said discharge pipe 11 is continued into branches 12 and 13 the branch 12 connecting with the pipe 8 and the branch 13 connecting with the pipe 6. The said branches 12 and 13 are provided with valves 14 and 15 respectively and it will be seen that when the fan 9 is in operation a blast will be discharged through the pipe 11 and pipes 12 and 13 into the pipes 8 and 6. This blast passing through the said pipes 8 and 6 will create a vacuum at the ends of the said pipes 6 and 8 which connect with the suc tion trunks 7 and 1 and consequently vacuums will be created in said suction trunks. The inlet 16 into the suction trunk 7 is spaced slightly above the upper surface of the table 1 while the upper opening into the suction trunk 1 is closed by the said table 1. If desired a strip of porous flexible material 17 may be placed upon the upper surface of the table 1 and the said strip may extend under the inlet openings 16 into the suction trunk 7 of the entire series of cleaners. Blast pipes 18 extend over the table 1 and are provided with discharge nozzles 19, one of the said nozzles being located immediately over each of the suction trunks 7. Rotating brushes 20 are also located above the table 1 and a brush 20 is located adjacent the end of each suction trunk 7.

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the brushes 20. The suction trunks 4c and 7 are elongated and their long dimensions are pitched at acute angles to the diameter of the table 1. The cleaning devices hereinbefore described are preferably six in number arranged at regular intervals at the periphery of the table 1.

In operation the table 1 is maintained in a state of rotation and a suction draft is created through the trunks 4L and 7 in any suitable manner or the manner as hereinbefore described. At the same time blasts of air are forced through the pipes 18 and nozzles 19 and the brushes 20 are maintained in a state of rotation. The trunks 4 and 7 may be adjusted in position with relation to each other and may be adjusted with relation to the center of the table 1. The material to be separated is passed in mixed condition upon the upper surface of the table 1 and the said material is first brought in contact with the brush 20 of the initial set of cleaners. The said brush 20 will engage the material and have a tendency to pass the heavier or bulkier particles of material over the top of the trunk 7 and toward the brush 20 of the next group of cleaners. At the same time the'finer particles of material are sucked down through the perforations of the table 1 into the trunk 4: and through the elbow 5 and pipe 6 and away from the apparatus. At the same time particles of ma terial borne upon the draft of air which passes down through the perforations in the table 1 in the trunk 4 are sucked up again through other perforations in the said table 1 into the trunk 7 in the manner as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. At the same time particles of material are sucked under the edge of the trunk 7 and up through the inlet 16 therein into the interior of the said trunk and the particles thus received within the trunk are carried through the pipe 8 away from the apparatus. At the same time the blast of air discharged from the nozzle 19 engages the heavier particles of material which are passed up by the brush 20 and the said blast assists in carrying the heavier particles over the top of the trunk 7 and toward the brush 20 of the next group cleaners. This operation is repeated throughout the entire series of cleaners. In this manner the lint may be removed from cotton seed, or fiber may be removed from other solid bodies the parts of the apparatus being so adjusted that the seed will remain upon the table top 1 while the lint is drawn under the trunk 7 or into the trunk or the fine particles of deleterious material may be drawn into either one of the said trunks when the lint is drawn into the other.

As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the final trunk 7 of the series of trunks may be provided at its edge with the teeth as at 21. When the apparatus is used for removing lint from .cotton seed, the seed cotton is carried successively over the trunks 7 and at the edge of each trunk 7 some of the lint is removed from the seed, when however the seed arrives at the final trunk 7 under the series in which the trunk is provided with the teeth 21 the said seed engage the teeth and the shorter particles of lint are torn from the seed and carried under the said trunk 7 and when the seed are thus shorn they are passed up along the top of the final trunk 7. Therefore it will be seen that with an apparatus as described, the longer lint is removed from the seed at the first trunk 7 and successively throughout the remaining trunks the lint is gradually shorter, therea tendency to increase the frictional resistance to the material and prevent the same from passing too rapidly 'over the top of the table to accomplish the separation of the different parts as indicated. By adjusting the trunks at and 7 with relation to each other the draft strains or pulls upon the material being separated may be exercised upon the said material in varying directions, that is to say, the said strains may be more or less in a vertical direction or more or less in a horizontal direction, and thus the parts may be adjusted in order to facilitate the separation of the parts of the material. Again by adjusting the valves 14 and 15 the suction draft through the trunks 4 and 7 may be increased or diminished or the proportions of the intensity of draft through the said trunks may be regulated with relation to each other. That is to say there may be greater suction draft through the trunk 7 than through the trunk 4c and vice versa. The apparatus hereinbefore described may also be used forbleaching, heating or drying material. When it is used for bleaching material the bleaching element or fluid is forced through the pipes 18 and sprayed into the material through the nozzles 19. hen the apparatus is used for heating or drying material warm air is forced through the said pipe 18 and is discharged into the material through the nozzle 19.

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

cated comprising a perforated movable disk,

suction trunks arranged in pairs and located at the opposite sides of said support, said pairs of trunks being disposed tangentially of the periphery of the support, and means for creating suction draft through said suction trunks.

2. An apparatus of the character indicated comprising a perforated movable material supporting disk, suction trunks adjustably located at the opposite sides of the said disk and tangentially within the periphcry of said disk, and means for creating suction draft through the said trunks.

3. An apparatus of the character indicated comprising a movable perforated supporting disk, a perforated flexible material located upon the top of the supporting disk, suction trunks located at the opposite sides of the said supporting disk, and tangentially to the periphery thereof, and means for creating suction draft through the said trunks.

4. An apparatus of the character indicated comprising a circular perforated table mounted for rotation, suction trunks located at the opposite sides of the said table, said trunks being elongated and having their longer dimensions obliquely disposed with relation to the diameter of the table, and means for creating suction draft through the said suction trunks.

5. An apparatus of the character indicated comprising a movable perforated material support, suction trunks located at the opposite sides of the said support, means for discharging fluid under pressure over the uppermost trunks, and means for creating suction draft through the said trunks.

6. An apparatus of the character indi cated comprising a movable perforated material support, suction trunks located at the opposite sides of said support, means for creating suction draft through the said trunks, a brush journaled for rotation above the said material support and adapted to engage material and direct the same over the uppermost suction trunk.

7. An apparatus of the character indicated comprising a perforated movable material support, suction trunks located at the opposite sides of said support, means for creating suction draft through said trunks, means for discharging fluid under pressure over the uppermost suction trunk, a brush journaled for rotation above the material support and adapted to engage material and direct the same over the uppermost suction trunk.

8. An apparatus of the character indicated comprising a circular perforated table journaled for rotation, a series of cleaning and separating devices arranged to cooperate with said table, each group of the said cleaning and separating devices consisting of suction trunks located at the opposite sides of the table, means for delivering fluid under pressure over the uppermost suction trunk, movable brushes for engaging the material and directing the same over the uppermost suction trunk, the group of cleaning and separating devices being so arranged about the table that the material which is passed over the uppermost suction trunk of one group is delivered to the edge portion of the uppermost suction trunk of the next group of cleaning and separating devices.

9. An apparatus of the character indicated comprising opposed suction trunks and being in advance of the other, and a pen forated movable circular support located between the trunks, said trunks being arranged circumferentially and tangentially to the support.

10. In an apparatus of this character, a rotatably mounted circular perforated table, and two series of suction devices arranged at equi-distances apart and tangentially within the periphery of the table, one series of said devices being arranged to operate above and the other series below the table.

11. In an apparatus of this character, a rotatably mounted circular perforated table, and a series of pairs of suction devices arranged at equi-distances apart and tangentially within the periphery of the table, said table passing between the respective members of each pair of suction devices.

12. In an apparatus of this character, a rotatably mounted circular perforated table, a series of upper and lower cleaning devices between which the table passes, and disposed equi-distantly apart and within the periphery of the table, and means for adjusting said devices with relation to the table and in relation to each other.

13. In an apparatus of this character, a

rotatably mounted circular perforated table, an upper series of cleaning devices disposed above and tangentially to the periphery of the table, and a lower series of cleaning devices disposed below the table.

14. In an apparatus of this character, a rotatably mounted circular perforated table, a stationary rim therefor, a series of cleaning devices mounted in the rim and disposed above the table and equi-distances apart, and a series of co-acting cleaning devices mounted below the table.

15. In an apparatus of this character, a rotatably mounted circular perforated table, a stationary rim therefor, a series of suction trunks carried by the rim and disposed above and tangentially to the periphery of the table, and a series of co-acting suction trunks disposed below the table.

16. In an apparatus of this character, a rotatably mounted circular perforated table,

a stationary rim therefor, a series of suo- In testimony that I claim the foregoing tion trunks carried by the rim and disposed as my oWn, I have hereto aflixecl my signaabove said table, a brush opposed to each ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

trunk, and a series of suction trunks below ERNEST D. MAXVELL. the table and in substantially the same posi- Witnesses:

tion relatively to the table as the series of F. B. OOHSEMEITER,

suction trunks above the table. L. WILLSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

